LOCAL NEWS

Flash Fiction Competition

Thame Arts & Literature Festival’s Flash Fiction theme is The Prime of Life. Does this pinnacle overdose on expectations, turn out to be nothing more than an over-used cliché or does it spark a turning point from which there is no turning back?

Your story may be interpreted in any way you wish and written in any genre (maximum 500 words).

Prizes: 1st £200 book tokens, 2nd £100 book tokens, 3rd £50 book tokens.

Closing date: Saturday 25 September 2021. www.talfestival.org

Bacombe Hill bridleway and footpath surface improvements

The Ridgeway National Trail undertook work on the Trail footpath at the bottom of Bacombe Hill near Wendover in mid-July due to surface erosion. Work also included the bridleway, with a temporary closure put in place.

Erosion on the footpath

Wendover & Villages Community Board champions partnership working

Like all 16 Buckinghamshire Community Boards, in the past 12 months Wendover & Villages Community Board has made great strides in forming strong and constructive partnerships with local groups and organisations.

As the board met for its latest meeting 1 July, members took the opportunity to reflect on some of the main achievements which include:

• Providing funding to a wide array of causes including to local charity, Lindengate, to run its Planted programme for young people who are facing mental health challenges and feel they have nowhere to go.

• Developing good working relationships with town and parish councils and creating strong links with Buckinghamshire Council, providing support and aligning all the work that already takes place within the area.

• Directly addressing long-standing concerns of local residents on matters relating to highways and transportation by working in close partnership with local groups.

For the coming year the community board will focus on the following areas:

• Environment and Climate Change

• Economic Recovery

• Highways and Transportation

• Health and Wellbeing

Action groups will be set up to focus on these areas of interest at a local level. Residents, community groups, organisations and businesses who want to get more involved are encouraged to complete the form or alternatively contact the Community Board Coordinator: wendoverandvillages@ buckinghamshire.gov.uk.

This year the community board will have more than £800K to work on initiatives that address these key themes and will seek to work with the community to help bring about change and improvement.

Michael Collins, Chairman of Wendover & Villages Community Board said: “Applications are being encouraged from local groups, Parish Councils and other organisations who can demonstrate that their proposal offers benefit to the local community. All applications will be considered by the Community Board. We are excited to once again have this opportunity to provide funds that will have a direct and positive impact on local residents.”

For more information on Wendover & Villages Community Board, visit their webpage and keep up to date with all the latest news on Facebook.

Walkers step forward to support local hospice charity

Pavements and paths around Buckinghamshire, and beyond, were brightened by hundreds of walkers early on Saturday 10 July who were taking part in Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity’s NOT The Midnight Walk.

The Charity’s annual fundraiser, the Midnight Walk, was altered again this year to a virtual walk in line with coronavirus restrictions. Walkers were asked towalk 5 miles, wherever they wanted, starting at 5am on Saturday – and families, friends and colleagues all turned out to walk in memory of loved ones and to support the work of Florence Nightingale Hospice.

“We had over 550 walkers taking part this year, plus 75 dogs sporting our new FNHC dog bandanas,” says Julie Chitty, Events Fundraising Manager at the Charity. “Thanks to their efforts, and the hundreds of people who have sponsored Walkers, the event has

already raised over £60,000 with more funds expected to come in this week. Thank you to everyone who got involved.”

After a difficult year of shop closures and cancelled events, the money raised by NOT The Midnight Walkers will make a huge contribution to Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity’s recovery from the impact of Covid-19.

You can still show your support for the Charity and the Walkers by donating online at www. justgiving.com/campaign/NTMW2021.

Soap and Porridge

Soap and Porridge is an art installation coming toWendover Community Library in October. In July, it visited Princes Risborough Library and included the piece in the photo at right. Want to see more? Drop in!

Diamond Anniversary!

Tony & Jenny Farmer of Wendover celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on 22 July 2021. 60 years of wedded bliss. Wonderful parents, grandparents and greatgrandparents who have lived in Wendover for the past 15 years (previously from Gt Missenden), a local Buckinghamshire couple and parishioners of St Mary’s Church.

Freedom of the Parish

May I thank Wendover Parish Council for the singular honour of being awarded the Freedom of the Parish for contributing to the Wendover Neighbourhood Plan, as reported on the back page of the July edition.

In that report there is a name missing.

Sheila Bulpett was chairman of the Wendover Neighbourhood Plan Steering

Group. Creating the Plan was, in large part, a result of her hard work and commitment. There were many hurdles to overcome, but overcome they were due to Sheila’s determination to see the Plan move forward and become a reality. Indeed, it was Sheila, together with John Currell, who brought all our work together and wrote the Plan.

I am sure the Parish Council, in its wisdom, has awarded Sheila the same honour as the rest of the Group. However, this was not clear at the presentation ceremony nor on the back page of Wendover News. Sheila’s great contribution needs to be recorded and made public so that our community have some idea of the qualities of the person who now chairs its Parish Council.

Alan Myers

Silent Soldier thanks

How lovely to have a Silent Soldier back on the Community Orchard. When we saw the damage to the figure in May we were so sad that anyone should think it right to vandalise this symbol of the sacrifice of people in war. We were even sadder when we heard that it could not be repaired. We walk past the Community Orchard most weekday mornings and have really missed "his" presence.

What a lovely surprise we had when we saw that a soldier was once more standing sentinel. Thank you so much.

Marilyn Storer & Cate Bowley

The Red Lion reopens

The Red Lion reopened in July as Bel and The Dragon at The Red Lion following an extensive refit. The general manager is Matt Coupland, who has worked for Fullers for eight years, including at The Red Lion prior to its refit.

The new menu offers locally sourced ingredients. It's well worth a visit! https:// belandthedragon-wendover.co.uk

Pace Quiz Night

After nearly a year of virtual quizzes, how about a quiz night that isn’t through a screen? Pace will be hosting a Halloween special Quiz Night 26 October at The Dinton Hermit. Tickets £17.50 per person and include a spooktacular dinner. The Quiz will include five Halloween themed rounds as well as Heads & Tails, Best Sealed Bid and Spaghetti Tower! To be in with a chance to win the CASH PRIZE, book your team space now by emailing lacey.bonham@thepacecentre.org.

Wendover Cricket Club

The junior season is drawing to a close although there are still some 20 matches to be played out of the 140+ scheduled for 9 age groups. This season has seen approx. 260 juniors participate which included a new U7 age group and a new girls only section that has had 35 girls regularly attending. The U12 Spitfires won their Bucks League whilst the U12 Hurricanes won their U13 Aylesbury League division. The senior teams have had mixed results with both teams lying midtable in the Mid Bucks League.

The season continues until the end of September, when the club will lose its Ellesborough Road ground to HS2. The final event on the ground is on Saturday 25 September. The planning application for the new ground should be submitted within the next month and much work is continuing behind the scenes to try and ensure the club is not adversely affected in 2022/23 when it does not have a fully operational main ground. For more info, contact Jonathan Seabrook at jseabrook@ talktalk.net or visit www.pitchero.com/ clubs/wendovercricketclub.

Jonathan Seabrook

Hampden Fields Action Group

The group has raised the £35k required to proceed with a a Judicial Review into the lack of healthcare facilities being brought with new development in our area. If you'd like to donate, please visit www.justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/phil-yerby-1.